Institutions

Londoners of the nineteenth century were particularly fascinated with different and unusual bodies as a means of escaping into a world of spectacle in an age of industry. We refer to the term 'freak' in the original context it was used. The Oxford English Dictionary defines its use in the following way, "more fully freak of nature: an abnormally developed individual of any species; a living curiosity exhibited in a show."

Characters such as General Tom Thumb (Charles Sherwood Stratton, Collage 291481) and Madame Maria Teresia (also known as the Corsican Fairy, 318428) were very much celebrities of their time. Queen Victoria met Tom Thumb on three occasions (Collage 291911) which assisted in his popularity. As a person of short stature he stood at 3.25ft. Some of these people had conditions such as Down's syndrome or deformities from birth and would today be considered to have a disability. At this time there were no laws that regulated the show of unusual bodies.

There were various platforms for exhibition in the nineteenth century when it was at its peak. This included Bartholomew Fair (7089, which finally closed in 1855) and William Bullock's Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly (28563). In fact anywhere with a passing and interested crowd was likely to be acquisitioned for the exhibition of curiosities such as the fronts of empty shops.

Madame Polonawsky, the Bearded Lady shown here (323104) exhibited at Albert Palace, Battersea (285419) in 1886 has a shapely figure and wears feminine attire, thus accentuating the juxtaposition of the masculine facial hair. A report in the Liverpool Mercury on February 23, 1886 remarks: "The freak of nature which has endowed her with a long thick beard and dark moustache has failed to deprive her of a pleasant voice and ladylike manner."

The formation of the London County Council in 1889 rang the death knell for the eventual decline of the freak show and the traditional showman in London. The licensing of venues led to tighter regulation, which coupled with the rise of other organised entertainments such as the music halls, the circus and the zoo saw freak shows disappear to the margins. A change in attitude and a strong sense of morality amongst the middle-classes towards this type of entertainment meant that freak shows were beginning to be seen as an offensive past time.

You can explore more images of Victorian entertainments and shows, including posters, in the Granger Entertainments collection which is available through the Collections page.